Drilling systems can be used for drilling well boreholes in the earth for extracting fluids, such as oil, water, and gas. The drilling systems include a drill string for boring the well borehole into a formation that contains the fluid to be extracted. The drill string includes tubing or a drill pipe, such as a pipe made-up of jointed sections, and a drilling assembly attached to the distal end of the drill string. The drilling assembly includes a drill bit at the distal end of the drilling assembly. Typically, the drill string, including the drill bit, is rotated to drill the well borehole. Often, the drilling assembly includes a mud motor that rotates the drill bit for boring the well borehole.
Obtaining downhole measurements during drilling operations is known as MWD or logging while drilling (LWD). Some downhole measurements, referred to as surveys, include information about the location, such as the orientation and/or position, of the drill string in the well borehole. This survey data is gathered by the drill string in the borehole, such as by an MWD system in the drill string and communicated to the surface. Transmitting survey data can be a time-consuming process that reduces the timeliness of the data and increases the time it takes to drill a well, which leads to inaccurate information about the position of the drill string and an increase in the cost of drilling the well.